Best Picture: I think Fargo came in second, even though some thought Shine was the spoiler that year (That movie is dreadful and I feel the Academy was going to honor it with Best Actor and nothing more). But TEP was just too much in Oscar’s alley to lose. Fargo, like Pulp Fiction before it, was too dark and quircky for the Oscars. The other films had no chance.

Best Director: Joel Coen for Fargo.

Best Actor: Billy Bob Thorton for sure. he probably would have won if it hadn’t been for Rush.

Best Actress: Brenda Blethyn was the closest throughout the awards season to McDormand and I think she was the closest to beating her. McDormand was giving a very popular performance of the only likeable character in her film and was also a way of honoring Fargo with another Oscar win.

Best Supporting Actor: It probabbly was about a tie between Edward Norton and William H. Macy. I’d say Norton though given his globe win.

Best Supporting Actress: Bacall definitely was second. Still love watching the video of her losing! It’s almost as good as watching Jule Christie 11 years later,getting out her acceptance speech when the envelope was about to be announced and being like “WTF, MARION?!” and then quickly looking pleased as punch for her.

Best Orginal Screenplay: Probably Jerry Maguire, given the fact that Leigh’s films are often improved, which hurt Secrets And Lies here. Fargo probably won in a strong majority though.

Best Adapted Screenplay: The English Patient no doubt was the runner up. Billy was clearly too popular though to be overlooked this year though. LOVE watching the video of him winning!

Picture: FargoDirector: CoenActor: Thornton. If he was popular enough to win screenplay over the BP winner then he’ll definitely have had plenty of support here, even if Rush was quite a way ahead in the end.Actress: Blethyn, as she’d won the Drama Globe and later won BAFTA (back then it was after the Oscar ceremony). I wonder where the brilliant Emily Watson ranked – hopefully 3rd. I know Oscar loved The English Patient and all, but who was voting for Kristin Scott Thomas when they had two stronger contenders also in popular films? Supporting Actor: Macy I think. His role was big (frankly it was category fraud) and he was in a strong BP contender. For me, he may be my personal winner for Lead Actor that year, he’s arguably even better than McDormand.Supporting Actress: Bacall. It would be slightly hilarious if vote tallies were released and we all discovered Binoche had won in a landslide. (It wouldn’t shock me that much, to be frank). Whatever the case, I can’t imagine the other three having the support to outdo Bacall, though all 3 of them were terrific. Hershey is my personal choice.Original Screenplay: Jerry MaguireAdapted Screenplay: The English Patient. I’m wondering, were the experts mostly predicting it to win or had Thornton already built a strong narrative by then?

Best Picture – Fargo (while James L. Brooks is formidable, no Best Director nod for Jerry Maguire)Best Directing – Joel Coen for FargoBest Actor – Tom Cruise for Jerry Maguire (Billy Bob Thornton was honored in screenplay. I suspect that was considered sufficient. Sentiment was there for box office champ Tom Cruise who had been denied a presumed win for Born on the Fourth of July.)Best Actress – Diane Keaton for Marvin’s Room. (I suspect the members who voted for McFormand regretted being unable to support Blethyn and Watson. Thus, the remaining votes would go to someone different. Keaton was compelling. I remember Oprah devoted her Oscar episode to Keaton and announced that she voted for her. The only other time she did that in my recollection was for Crash.)Best Supporting Actor – William H. Macy for FargoBest Supporting Actress – Lauren Bacall for The Mirror Has Two FacesBest Original Screenplay – Jerry MaguireBest Adapted Screenplay – The English Patient